Chapter 15: What if you knew you're friend was going to die?
BIG IMPORTANT NEWS!
Okay, Songpaw and Swiftpaw and Stormpaw might have slightly different personalities, especially Songpaw, the reason being I'm going to base them off my epic friends so the whole group atmosphere of the five is better written and more from my heart, it will make their connection stronger and their teamness (not a real word) more epic. Im sure lots of you do this so I am too, it will make the characters better written and the five a stronger group and more friends.
Swiftpaw: based on my friend thestralriver17938, she has a very successful Harry potter fanfic, so go and check it out, she got me into fanfiction so go and thank her and support her already highly reviewed stories! Plz :D
Pesonality: Full of confidence, shy at times, beaming with support and sometimes a bit sarcastic, along with a loyal friend to the end and a brilliant joker, also a huge party! Very hyper! Is a brilliant friend who can be fun but serious when you need her to
Stormpaw: based on my friend HippoGryff, who is a new comer on fanficton and is also doing a harry potter fanfiction. He's new so please go and send your support, his story description sucks because he's a bum who doesn't believe in himself! But his writing level is far beyond his age and his attention to detail is remarkable (no matter how much he denies it) so go and give it a look!
Personality: shy at times, but can go into full outrage mode is he sees it is a unjust situation, talented, and a loyal friend, always the one to talk to if you need help with something, sometimes needs the odd bit of moral support but is a bucket of fun and is always the one you can rely on.
Songpaw: based off my friend who doesn't have fanfiction, but I'm sure I can change that :D
Personality: Shy to strangers and seems quiet and harmless from the outside. But once you get to know her, she will be of the best fun times you've ever had! Would defend you no matter what, and always keeping you in mind about anything, always trying to keep peace and hates arguments, has a little crazy side too, and always has a farfetched explanation for everything. Along with Swiftpaw is a huge force. Kind and caring and would never hurt a fly.
DISCLAIMER!:
Raven: neon does not own warriors, now I need to cry...
LOLITA!
REVIEW ANSWER TIME!
Pumpkinfur: "I like Antpelt, he didn't deserve to die, neither did Mapleshade.."
Cool name! And yeah, I like Antpelt too, I thought he was quite betrayed by Tigerstar soo yeah... I made him come back! :D
Guest!:
"I like Swiftpaw"
Don't we all :D nahh I love her :D by the way high five!
Jayleaf1: "he's in wuv"
Haha, hello one of my favourite reviewers! *hugs* and yeah... he kinda is :D not that I'm going to make it that obvious yet... :D :D :D
Ravenpaw padded into the thunderclan camp, her breathing ragged from running all the way home, her pelt was sticky with sweat and her muscles ached with fatigue. Sniffing the air quickly she realised Wolfpaw had been back to camp before her, his scent trail heading to the apprentice den. Breathing a sigh of relief, she decided to check up on Swiftpaw, running to the medicine den with the little energy she had left.
The strong scent of herbs crashed into her, swarming her in the fragrant smells, she spotted Jayfeather, grumbling as he positioned herbs delicately on the medicine den floor. Ravenpaw glanced at Swiftpaw's nest, she was a bundle of bright orange fur, her sleek, thin pelt ruffled up and covered in cobwebs and marigold, her breathing was normal, and her tail was tucked over her nose making her look kit like for a moment. "Cute huh?"
Ravenpaw pricked her ears and found Snowpaw standing behind her, his amber eyes locked on Swiftpaw. Jayfeather quickly cast Ravenpaw a glare for her earlier antics of invading his mind, he stood up and padded over to the other apprentices. "Will she be okay?" Ravenpaw whispered alarmingly.
Jayfeather nodded, then growled. "It was mainly just exhaustion, like her body was pushed to the farthest limit and it couldn't take it." He flicked a ear and dug his claws into the floor. "But I can't find any explanation for it!"
Ravenpaw ducked her head at Jayfeather's sudden bust of anger. "She saved my life..." Ravenpaw mewed.
Snowpaw nodded. "Mine too. If only she was old enough to be a warrior."
Jayfeather shook his head. "She's only nine moons old, she still has plenty of training to do, as do you Snowpaw.-" Jayfeather was silenced when Swiftpaw let out a terrified yowl. Snowpaw leapt to his paws and climbed in beside Swiftpaw, gently stroking her with his tail, Swiftpaw's shivering immediately stopped. Jayfeather flicked his tail at Ravenpaw, telling her to leave, reluctantly she backed out of the den and into the thunderclan camp that was growing cooler and redder by the setting sun. Ravenpaw knew it would almost be time to go and hunt, since the prey had stayed in their burrows nearly all day to escape the torturing heat. Ravenpaw spotted Stormpaw, Blackpaw, Amberpaw all gathered around Toadstep and Ivypool. Curious, Ravenpaw trotted over to her family (minus Amberpaw).
Toadstep waved his tail to her and Ravenpaw snuggled down against her father, enjoying the moment of peace. "This heat reminds me of when I was an apprentice." Ivypool started. "The lake was shrinking, and Riverclan was so hungry they decided to claim the lake!"
The apprentices gasped. "Well that's mouse brained; don't you need the lake to drink? And it would take their entire clan to just patrol it, let alone hunting!" Amberpaw said, rolling her eyes.
Ivypool nodded. "That's what we thought, but Leopardstar, the old leader of Riverclan was old, and not in her right mind. Also Dovewing had a dream from Starclan that the stream to the lake was being blocked, so she went with a patrol and unblocked it! That's why she is so respected today!" Ivypool exclaimed, her eyes darkening when she mentioned a dream from Starclan. Ravenpaw frowned, she knew her mother wasn't telling them everything.
So many secrets, Swiftpaw and her parents, Jayfeather and the prophecy, and now my own mother!
Ravenpaw's gaze was directed to Foxpaw, when he flicked his tail at Blackpaw, beckoning him to follow him out of camp. Ravenpaw narrowed her eyes. And there's another mystery to be answered too...
Still concentrated by the secrets swarming in thunderclan, Ravenpaw jumped when a tail tapped her shoulder. "Excuse me, I need to borrow Ravenpaw for a moment..." Jayfeather growled in his most polite voice as possible. Oh no.. he's being polite, that's never good...
Ravenpaw followed Jayfeather as he led her out of the camp, twisting through unknown trails and under bramble bushes until they were in a part of thunderclan Ravenpaw was confident that no one normally came to. Jayfeather sat down and wrapped his tail around his paws, looking at Ravenpaw with undisguised interest. Ravenpaw gulped and stared back at him warily. "Remember that night at the gathering? When your powers overpowered your mind and you fainted. Then when I went into your mind to find answers, you went into mine. You are one of the five and now I need to explain all I know to you."
Ravenpaw was surprised by his openness at the secrets he was about to share with her. "Why did you bring me here?" Ravenpaw asked looking around the quiet bramble covered clearing. "It's quiet and quite undiscovered, the patrols never really come here, I've sent Lionblaze to bring Bramblestar and Dovewing here. But until they arrive, you can tell me all that you would find hard to tell them when they get here."
Ravenpaw's eyes widened. "The clan leader? Is it really that serious!?"
Jayfeather rolled his pale, blind eyes. "Of course, strongest blood of fire and thunder sounds serious to me? Mousebrain."
Ravenpaw looked at her paws, suddenly daunted at the weight placed on her shoulders; she was only seven moons old! She wasn't a brave leader, or a wise medicine cat, she was a kit barely out of the nursery! Looking back up at Jayfeather, she realised he was waiting for her to reveal anything she wanted to tell him. She knew he would enter her mind if she took too long and Ravenpaw didn't know if she was powerful enough to stop him and after her encounter with the Darkclan apprentice Mysticpaw, he could find out and have her punished. "Well?" Jayfeather growled, his voice edged with impatience.
"My first day as an apprentice, I was talking to Songpaw, she was lonely so we had a conversation, anyway after a while she froze and she looked terrified, like she was watching something terrible that I couldn't see."
"Go on.." Jayfeather urged, Ravenpaw could almost taste Jayfeather's curiosity.
"then she said, The sightful Raven, the unseen Storm, the swiftest fire, the Wolf's heart and the endless Song are the strongest blood of fire and thunder, they must learn of the shadows that haunt them, and the ghosts in the shadows of the past, for the war of flame and shadow is coming.. and they will have to sacrifice everything... even themselves. But it sounded like someone else was using her tongue, then she shook herself and didn't look like she knew what happened."
Jayfeather's eyes widened, he stared at Ravenpaw with shock and was that.. fear? "Anything else?" he mewed urgently.
Ravenpaw shook her head, unable to tell him anything else. The blind tom's gaze swept over the crystal, shining lake in the distance, deep in thought. "There was something before you, another prophecy. One about me, Lionblaze and Dovewing, even Firestar in the end."
Ravenpaw pricked her ears, no one had ever told her this. "Of course you've heard of the battle with the dark forest, but you've never heard of the four have you? At first I heard a prophecy in Firestar's dream, but then I was given this one for more clarity. After the sharp-eyed jay and the roaring lion, peace will come on dove's gentle wing. I, Lionblaze and Dovewing were the cats involved in the prophecy, later I was told this one, The end of the stars draws near. Three must become four to battle the darkness that lasts forever. The fourth cat, was Firestar we then battled and saved the clans from the dark forest. I can walk into other cat's dreams and interpret emotions, Lionblaze can fight and never be wounded, and Dovewing can hear and see from impossible distances."
Ravenpaw's head spun from all these discoveries, all the secrets that wrapped thunderclan in a layer of mistrust. This is wrong...so very wrong.. Ravenpaw decided to look at the ground, breaking eye contact with the cat she thought she knew, but now felt like a complete stranger to. "If Lionblaze can't be wounded why did he get almost killed by Breezestar?" Ravenpaw asked, remembering her mentor's scar covered pelt.
"Breezestar was smart, he had Tigerstar guiding him and advised him to knock Lionblaze on something to knock him out, when Lionblaze is unconscious he is at his most vulnerable, and I don't think his power applies to getting his head cut open by a rock, that's why he can get ill, he is invincible in battle, not against nature. Then Breezestar just cut him open when he wasn't fully conscious, making his pelt become inflicted with wounds." Jayfeather replied, visibly shuddering at the memory. Ravenpaw felt her mind connect with his, and she looked through his mind to see through Jayfeather's eyes, he was looking at a twitching Lionblaze, covered in blood and screaming in pain. Ravenpaw felt sick, she wrenched herself out of his mind and steadied her breathing, disturbed by the sight of Lionblaze's agony. Jayfeather stared evenly at her, knowing that she had just seen his memory. "Don't make looking in my head a habit." He growled quietly.
Ravenpaw simply nodded, scared by his ice tinged tone. Their frosty silence was broken when Lionblaze led Dovewing and Bramblestar into the bramble surrounded clearing. Bramblestar tilted his head at Ravenpaw. "This better be quick Jayfeather, with Darkclan threatening attack having the leader and deputy away from camp at the same time is very risky."
Ravenpaw dipped her head at the two powerful toms, she couldn't help but stare at Lionblaze's scar covered pelt. The golden tom glared at her with dangerous amber eyes, making her shiver at their fiery power.
"Bramblestar, I have reason to fear the prophecy is coming true. Five, the rulers of the stars, the kin of Thunderclan's strongest blood will rise to battle the ghosts of the forgotten past. They will face great terror and tragedy to defeat the shadows that deceive us in the dark. We have been given numerous over prophecies, such as The sightful Raven, the unseen Storm, the swiftest fire, the Wolf's heart and the endless Song are the strongest blood of fire and thunder, they must learn of the shadows that haunt them, and the ghosts in the shadows of the past, for the war of flame and shadow is coming.. and they will have to sacrifice everything... even themselves."
Bramblestar's amber eyes grew into large black pupils, so you could barely see his iris, the clan leader looked horrified. He then shot a look of awe at Ravenpaw. "the sightful Raven.."
Ravenpaw backed away as all the warrior's stares locked on her, burning her pelt, fuelled with fear, hinted with mistrust. "What's up with this clan? Why are we the ones who always get the end of the clans prophecies?" Bramblestar whispered.
"I have evidence that the swiftest fire, could be Swiftpaw." Jayfeather growled. "The day when you had a group training session, I was watching, well listening...because I knew all the cats who could possibly be in the prophecy where there, so I decided to search for any strange signs. I got one. Swiftpaw was running and I could see her, Starclan wanted me to see the speed she was going at, it was impossible, then Yellowfang told me that she was one of the five, and that we have to find the rest fast, because... the enemy is ready and cats are vanishing."
Breezestar nodded. "What about the unseen Storm? The wolf's heart and the endless song?"
Ravenpaw was shaking, she couldn't believe this, her entire world was being turned upside down in one day! Her friends were being dragged into it too! She couldn't let them have this burden placed on them! They were apprentices! They shouldn't have to worry about saving their clan from blood thirsty murders!
"Well.. storm.. Stormpaw probably, except he's pretty ordinary, I've seen no powers coming from him..."
"Stop it!" Ravenpaw yowled. Cutting off the medicine cat. All the worried cat's glares pinned on her, burning into her skin, making her shiver despite the heat in them. "Why are you dragging them into this? All they want is to have normal lives..and you're ruining it! We're too young to have this responsibility of saving everyone we know. They're already being swarmed by secrets, there's no need to fill their heads with death." Ravenpaw hissed, then she started to lose the strength in her legs when her head was filled with images, cats running, screaming for their lives, a amber eyed tom slashing at their necks, followed by others. A fire swept through the forest, burning kits and burying elders in fallen trees. All Ravenpaw could smell was blood. Then she locked eyes with a ginger she cat, with green eyes and a white chest and tail, yowling her name as claws ripped her neck apart, and the light died from her eyes... Swiftpaw..
The vision stopped and Ravenpaw felt Lionblaze at her side, Ravenpaw realised she was crying, salty tears running down her fluffy face, Jayfeather stared at her, with a slight bit of sympathy in his light blue gaze. Ravenpaw knew he saw her vision, but he also saw what happened at the end, not Swiftpaw's death, but a dark tabby cowering in shadows as she had the vision. It wasn't Ravenpaw's vision, no.. Ravenpaw simply had gone in her head, the vision had been witnessed by Songpaw...
OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHh
Now is that me or was that a plot twist I detect? Hhmmmm?
Lolita (that's my friend's female version of Lol, cause we're epic people like that)
Is it me or does Swiftpaw have a habit to end up in lethal danger? Who can't help but feel sorry for Ravenpaw though? Her head being filled with thoughts nearly all day, unless she finds the strength to block them, being given visions of death from time to time, and having to know her best friend could die in the future, yeah kind of bad.
Also it seems we are discovering that Songpaw is different too! I guess you have already guess what she is... not saying in case some of you don't know :D
If you don't like the fact that Ravenpaw is so scared about her future, well put yourself in her shoes, or.. paws? If you had a head filled with chattering all day, and kept seeing your friends die in front of you and everyone expects you to save the world, wouldn't it be a little scary? Yes, cool powers but still having to save the world/clans... BIG PROBLEM!
Till next time you wonderful people! Xx
Neon xx
